Whelving Warmth (LAS #1)

Prologue

Whelving Warmth
Prologue

"Remind me again, why did we have to go all the way here?"

I've been busy the entire week with the company. I mean, lagi namang busy but this one is the kind of busy na stressful talaga.

Nagkaroon kasi ng problem sa branch sa Palawan. Naging meeting place daw ng mayor tsaka ng kabit niya yung resort, as claimed by the wife. Ayun nagagalit, kinunsinti raw kesyo ng mga staffs. She's insisting that the resort should shut down because we supported his husband's adultery.

Like, how is it our fault?

But nevermind, tapos naman na. I was able to settle the issue with Mrs. Mendez. Not easily though, kaya inabot ako ng isang linggo dun.

A fucking stressful week.

That's why imagine my horror when Ash fetched me in the airport because we need to attend a damn birthday party.

Like what, another five hours to travel again?

Tapos birthday party lang?

I just want to rest.

But I can't say that. Maybe, things are really supposed to be this way.

"You're so grumpy. I told you to sleep sa byahe, diba?" He said as he maneuvered the car for parking.

After parking successfully, he glanced at me. He saw me pouting and it made him chuckle.

It's my fault naman talaga. I read some proposals on my iPad while travelling. Hindi ko kasi nagawa nung nasa Palawan. Hindi naman urgent but I have to be responsible, the entire company is expecting on me.

It is still not a year when I became the CEO, I'm still not used to the pressure. The board is expecting on me too much since I'm David Esquivel's daughter.

Kinulit naman ako ni Ash earlier na matulog muna ako kahit saglit but I didn't listen. He eventually stopped bugging me when he noticed that I have no plans of changing my mind.

He went out to open the door for me. Inalalayan niya ko palabas. I felt his hand in my waist habang naglalakad.

The party is held in the host's yard. The owner of the hacienda is obviously rich. The mansion we pass through earlier looks newly renovated. I was amazed when we entered the yard, kahit na parang nasa higit dalawang daan ang bisita, hindi nagmukhang masikip yung lugar, sobrang ganda pa ng pagkakaayos.

Speaking of bisita, andami rin naming nakasalubong na mga politician at old actors kanina. Binati pa nga kami ng iba sa kanila.

"For a birthday party, this one is really grand," pabulong kong sabi kay Ash pagkatapos umalis ng nag-aassist sa puwesto ng mga bisita.

"Double celebration kasi ng Birthday ni Governor tsaka ng anniversary nila ng asawa niya," may dumaang nag-aalok ng champagne kaya humingi muna kami before sitting down in our place.

"And maybe a farewell party for his last year as a governor. There are rumors that he's planning to run as a senator," he added.

We were greeted by two women and two men on their fifties when we went to our table. Ash greeted them back and I gave them a small smile. They looked friendly and they smiled back at me.

"Oh, so why are we invited here? The last time I checked we're into business, not politics," hininaan ko yung boses ko habang nagsasalita.

Baka kasi mamaya pulitiko pala 'tong mga kashare namin sa table, hindi ko lang kilala.

Nilapit ni Ashton ang upuan niya sa akin. "You know that we are having a new project here in Pangasinan, right?"

If I remember it correctly, it was mentioned to me a month ago by my dad. There are plans to open a new resort here but I wasn't informed that it will be this soon and it was pushed through na pala.